Book now for Move on Up North, 9 May

Applications to Move on Up North on 9 May 2012 must be submitted no later than Monday 12 March.

22 February 2012

Seventy high-level broadcasting industry executives will be gathering at MediaCityUK on Wednesday 9 May to have hundreds of one-to-one meetings with black and minority ethnic industry professionals.

NOTE: Application deadline extended to Monday 19 March

The event is Move on Up North, the ninth in the award-winning Move on Up series organised since 2003 by BECTU, the media and entertainment union, in partnership with the BBC.

Senior BBC execs

The 40-strong line-up of top BBC executives includes Ian Critchley controller, Production Talent at BBC Vision Productions, Helen Bullough, head of CBBC Productions and Noelle Britton, managing editor and head of staff development, BBC News.

ITV and Indies too

Alongside them are casting agents, facilities companies and big independent production companies including Lime Pictures, Shine and Red Productions.

Support from Skillset

The industry’s Sector Skills Council, Skillset, will also have a major presence at Move on Up North meeting BAME professionals and running a workshop.

Move on Up North is sponsored by BECTU, the BBC, Skillset and Lime Pictures.

Providing access to opportunities

BECTU devised the diversity initiative in response to the under-representation of BAME workers in the film and broadcasting industry. Jobs are too often awarded through informal contacts, “who you know” and word of mouth; research shows overwhelmingly that BAME professionals are often outside the important informal networks and so are excluded from even going forward for many roles that are never formally advertised.

Move on Up sets up one-to-one meetings between the BAME professionals and top industry executives to establish good contacts with strategically important people. This format has worked not only for the BAME professionals but also for the broadcasting industry, assisting executives to access talent that previously had been flying beneath their radar.

"After the first event, nearly a decade ago, every subsequent one has been organised as much for the employers as for the professional community itself," explained project manager, Janice Turner.

BECTU general secretary Gerry Morrissey commented:

“Unlike many race diversity initiatives which address new entrants and students, Move on Up starts with the understanding that the film and broadcasting industry already has thousands of extremely talented, experienced and qualified BAME professionals working within it.

"The issue is assisting them to ‘move on up’ in their careers. I am proud of the success that the union’s diversity programme has achieved for BAME professionals and it shows that our union can respond to the needs of all sectors of the workforce and delivers for them.”

Breakthrough event

Many BAME professionals have made real progress as a result of contacts secured at previous events. Radio 1 broadcaster Tina Daheley, former Blue Peter presenter Andy Akinwolere, Desi DNA's network series producer Phil Basi and many people working behind the camera have had big breaks after attending Move on Up.

Application deadline extended to Monday 19 March

Booking for Move on Up North on 9 May at MediaCityUK opens today 22 February; all applications to take part must now be submitted by Monday 19 March (an extension from the earlier published deadline of 12 March).

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About BECTU

BECTU is the UK's media and entertainment trade union; sectors covered include broadcasting, film, independent production, theatre and the arts, IT and telecoms, live events, leisure and digital media.